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Rose Heichelbech

The trend for tiny homes has been on the rise, while tiny cars remain a dubious product for many. But, tiny cars were particularly useful following World War II in France, England, and Germany when resources were scarce. They were popular not only due to their fuel efficiency, but their cheap purchase price and the fact that in some areas one needed a lesser license to operate them!

These cute cars often had 3 wheels and had 2-stroke motorcycle engines rather than conventional car engines. Unsurprisingly, these microcars had little or no space to haul groceries or packages, though some models did have small luggage racks. The fad for these cars lasted about 10 years during which time a variety of models could be seen on the street in any number of European cities. Watch as this British Pathé newsreel describes the latest German model to hit Britain in 1954: the Messerschmitt!